Nanjing is a green city, as alert readers of The Nanjinger will have undoubtedly noticed. It’s one of the best things about our fair city. And it’s just getting greener. So good today to have a handy list of Nanjing’s beautiful greenways.
Yesterday 10 November, a press conference held by the Municipal Greening and Gardening Bureau revealed that the selection process had taken a full 5 months.
The time was spent initially by experts who selected a short list of the cities greenways which was then put online, with the public encouraged to vote as to their idea of the most beautiful, reports Nanjing Daily.
Mao Haicheng, Deputy Director of the Bureau, said that the city’s greenways promote the integration of existing parks and green spaces, and greatly serves the people, bringing convenience for citizens to enjoy a high-quality leisure life.
“The selection of the ‘most beautiful greenways’ aims to explore and select the Nanjing greenways with the most unique scenery and the most profound heritage, which are also dynamic and interesting, further advocating the concept of a green and low-carbon life, and enhancing the city’s influence”, said Mao.
So what are they and where are Nanjing’s greenways?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a greenway as, “a corridor of undeveloped land preserved for recreational use or environmental protection”.
In Nanjing, that “corridor” is most often a pathway open to pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, inliners and more. A few others are actual roads open to vehicular traffic. But that which they have in common is the excess of greenery all around, usually kept in pristine shape by city-employed gardeners.
It has also been reported that 129.8 kilometres of greenways will by year end been built or renovated in Nanjing this year, while there are also plans for community-level greenways in the future.
In addition to the 10 Most Beautiful Greenways, a further 20 were also selected as finalists. So there you have it, 30 green spots to get out and enjoy in Nanjing before the weather turns cold. Enter the Chinese names into your smartphone’s map to find one closest to you!
The Top Ten
- Green Road around Zijin Mountain (环紫金山绿道)
- Greenway of Ming City Wall (明城墙绿道)
- Riverside Greenway (滨江绿道)
- Xuanwu Lake Greenway (玄武湖环湖绿道)
- Xiaotaoyuan Greenway (小桃园绿道)
- Daishan District Greenway (岱山片区绿道)
- Qingshui Greenway (清水绿道)
- Yangshan Lake Greenway (羊山湖绿道)
- Qinglong Green Belt Phase I Greenway (青龙绿带一期绿道)
- Hubin Avenue Greenway (湖滨大道绿道)
The 20 Finalists
- Qixia Mountain Greenway (栖霞山绿道)
- Yuhua Avenue Greenway (雨花大道绿道)
- Qinhuai River Jiangning Main Urban Greenway (秦淮河江宁主城区绿道)
- Outer Qinhuai River Greenway (外秦淮河绿道)
- Niushoushan River Greenway (牛首山河绿道)
- Plum Blossom Avenue (梅花大道)
- Qilin Ecological Park Greenway (麒麟生态公园绿道)
- Inner Qinhuai River East Section Greenway (内秦淮河东段绿道)
- Mochou Lake Park East Bank Greenway (莫愁湖公园东岸环湖绿道)
- Jubao Mountain Smart Greenway (聚宝山智慧绿道)
- Pearl River Greenway (珍珠河绿道)
- Shigu River West Bank Greenway (石固河西岸绿道)
- Yaofangmen Ruins Park Greenway (姚坊门遗址公园绿道)
- Fengzi River Greenway (丰子河绿道)
- Xingzhuang Park Greenway (幸庄公园绿道)
- Xiangyang River Greenway (向阳河绿道)
- Chanlin Road Greenway (禅林路绿道)
- Caiqiao River Wetland Greenway (蔡桥河湿地绿道)
- Beishilichanggou West Branch Greenway (北十里长沟西支绿道)
- Tangquan Longdong Road Greenway (汤泉龙洞路绿道)